Election Commission opens claims window for voters deleted in SIR

CHENNAI: In relief for voters, after the recent SIR removed 97 lakh names from the rolls, the Election Commission is beginning a month-long electoral roll purification exercise on November 12, during which voters can file claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls.

On Thursday, all district election offices will publish the draft electoral rolls, which will also be displayed at the respective polling stations for public inspection. "People whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise can submit Form 6 to seek inclusion in the electoral rolls until December 11," the Election Commission of India (ECI) said in its notification.

The ECI will dispose of the claims and objections received during the period by December 28, and publish the final electoral rolls on January 4, 2027.

The ECI has urged voters to submit applications through its Voter Service Portal (voters.eci.gov.in) or the ECINET mobile application to register their names in the electoral rolls.

The Commission said applicants must electronically sign the applications using an Aadhaar-enabled e-signature facility. The ECI also plans to hold four special camps during the exercise to facilitate voter registration and corrections.

During the SIR exercise in Tamil Nadu, the poll panel removed more than 97 lakh voters from the electoral rolls. The deleted entries included nearly 27 lakh names classified as deceased and around 66 lakh voters who had shifted their residences. The exercise identified around 3.4 lakh entries as duplicate registrations.

The month-long exercise will give those whose names were omitted during the SIR process a chance to seek inclusion in the electoral rolls before the final list is published.